Page 17 of Pawn

“It’s my grandma’s.” Allie reaches for it again and this time, she grips it.

“No!” Jo’s eyes go wide and hell, we’re in for a show.

Her cheeks redden and the glare she gives me could kill. But that’s what you get when you don’t play my games right, Medusa. The whole world knows your secret. The one you’ve been trying so hard to deny.

You’re mine and mine alone.

“Why are you cuffed?” Allie’s scarf hangs limply out of her hand, her jaw almost to the floor with an eyebrow raised.

“Woah.” The boy across from us has his eyebrows higher than I wish I was right now.

“Are those handcuffs?” Isaac finally says something, his loud drawl ringing around the room.

“I-It’s …” Jo stammers, glancing at me, sinking into her seat.

Leaning into her ear, I give her the way out, whispering, “Go on … tell ‘em what happened so I can tell them who you belong to.”

“Fine! Why don’t you ask Damien?” she spits, her eyes low and I wish she didn’t look so sexy when she’s pissed off.

I help her out and shrug. “Seems we got a little carried away in the chapel.”

Jo groans, “That’s not—“

“In the chapel?” Allie’s eyes narrow, pushing up the glasses on her face. She takes a step closer. “I expect this from you.” She points at me. “But Jo?” She whips her scarf at Jo’s shoulder like she’s scolding a child. “Your sister is in the hospital and a woman just—” She cuts herself off, looking around before she shakes her head.

“Allie,” Jo speaks up, letting her hair cover the side of her face. If she could disappear she would, but don’t worry, my Medusa. The minute these guys get the fuck out of here, I’m fixing this for the both of us. “It’s not what it looks like.”

Allie holds up her hand. “We’ll talk soon. You still owe me.” Turning around, she tugs on her brother’s arm. “C’mon guys, I’ll take you home.”

Christian turns around, Isaac under his arm before he looks over his shoulder at us. He meets my gaze instead of Jo’s because he’s not an idiot. He knows what I’ll do if I catch him playing flirty eyes at my girl again. “Call me when Willow wakes up.”

I give him a firm nod and watch them make their way to the exit before Jo rises from her seat. Looking around, she stamps her foot on the ground, boot hitting the tile with a thud.

“Take them off,” she demands. “This is fucking embarrassing.” She’s chewing on the inside of her mouth and we’ve both been through enough today to keep going with my antics.

Getting up from my seat I pull her under my arm. “Just one more thing.”

Five

Jo

Damien King will be the death of me.

If our relationship doesn’t kill me first.

Cold metal digs into my wrists as Damien leads me towards the exit, our friends already gone. He’s turning the cuffs from out of sight but I’m already too humiliated to care.

“Can you give me a call when Willow Rowland wakes up?” Damien calls the nurse at reception. “We’re going to get her a snack she likes so she has something familiar when she’s awake.”

The nurse nods with a flirty smile and I hate that I roll my eyes. I’m under his arm, in his hold that’s as confusing as this night. Getting a snack for Willow would be a nice gesture if he didn’t have me cuffed. “You can’t keep me like this, Damien, this is crazy!”

He holds the elevator door for me as we make our way in. There’s a woman on the phone approaching, but once we’re inside, Damien closes the door before she can get in.

“What can I say? I’m crazy about you,” he pulls me towards him by the short chain on the cuffs, his back against the elevator wall. “And I think I’m in love with you.”

“What?” His words are a mallet to my heart, a tornado to my guts.

“You know I am, Jo.”

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